MPs warn against diversion of road funds

DODOMA: MEMBERS of Parliament have urged the government to protect Road Fund revenues and ensure contractors are paid on time, warning that delays could slow infrastructure projects and weaken economic growth.

They said funds allocated for road construction and rehabilitation should be used strictly for their intended purpose, while outstanding debts owed to contractors should be settled promptly to speed up implementation of projects, improve transport services and support productive sectors of the economy.

The concerns were among key issues raised during debate on the Ministry of Works’ 2026/27 budget estimates presented in the National Assembly by the Minister for Works, Mr Abdallah Ulega on Wednesday. Several MPs insisted that Road Fund revenues should remain protected under the law and be directed solely towards infrastructure development projects approved by the National Assembly.

Njombe Urban Member of Parliament, Deo Mwanyika said Parliament had already enacted laws protecting Road Fund revenues and urged the government to respect the ring-fencing arrangement.

“We enacted legislation to ring-fence revenues meant for road construction and we will be hurting ourselves if we go against laws that we ourselves passed,” he said.

He added that many roads across the country have exceeded their lifespan and require urgent rehabilitation, noting that Tanzania cannot achieve its economic goals without reliable road infrastructure.

“It is time we respected the ring-fencing system so roads can be constructed and maintained properly. Without adequate funds for roads, we will not succeed economically,” he stressed.

Mary Masanja (Special Seats MPCCM) advised the government to consider channeling infrastructure revenues directly into the road fund to speed up implementation of projects nationwide.

According to her, the move would reduce delays in project implementation and minimise frequent complaints from MPs demanding road projects in their constituencies.

Selemani Kakoso (Mpanda RuralCCM) urged the government to transfer all approved Road Fund allocations into the fund’s account as endorsed by Parliament.

He also called on the government to halt plans to deduct five per cent of road fund revenues for other activities, warning that the move could weaken development of the road sector.

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“If implemented, the plan will clearly violate the law because these funds are protected under the ring-fencing arrangement,” he said.

Mr Kakoso further advised the road fund board to identify new revenue sources to strengthen maintenance and rehabilitation of roads and bridges across the country.

He also said the Parliamentary Infrastructure Committee had advised the government to prioritise payment of contractors and consulting engineers in order to reduce losses caused by interest penalties resulting from delayed payments.

According to him, historical debts owed to contractors in the construction sector should be verified and settled by the Treasury to allow the Ministry of Works’ development budget to focus on priorities approved by the House. The remarks came as lawmakers continued pressing the government to speed up payments to contractors and review rising interest costs associated with delayed settlements.

Engineer Johnston Mtasingwa (Bukoba Urban-CCM) said current contractors’ debts should be handled by the Ministry of Finance to allow development funds allocated to the Ministry of Works to continue financing ongoing projects. He advised the government to conduct a comprehensive assessment of interest accrued from the debts and consider securing low-interest loans to clear payments owed to contractors.

“We should stop launching new projects and instead focus on stalled projects, signed projects and those with completed feasibility studies so they can be completed on time,” he said.

Hamisi Tale Tale (Morogoro South East-CCM) urged the government to award more projects to local contractors, saying they have continued to demonstrate patriotism in implementing development initiatives.

Meanwhile, Geoffrey Timoth (KaweCCM) said Dar es Salaam continues to face severe traffic congestion, prompting residents to demand additional flyovers and expansion of road infrastructure.